Attachment for closed cans



B. W. MEGQUIER.

ATTACHMENT FOB CLOSED CANS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2|. 1919.

1,374,752. Patented Apr. 12, 192-1.

PATENT OFFICE.

BERTELLOW W. IVIEGQUIER, OF BUTTE, MONTANA.

ATTACHMENT FOR CLOSED CANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Application filed March 21, 1919. Serial No. 284,204.

To all whom it may concern-i Be it known that I, BERTELLow W. MEG- QUIER, citizen of the United States of America, residing at Butte, in the county of Silver Bow and State of Montana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Closed Cans, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a device for use in conjunction with sealed cans containing a liquid, such as condensed milk cans and the like, the invention being designed, when the can is not in use, to close the perforations made therein for the purpose of emptying the contents of the can. To this end, the invention comprises abody portion, formed with spring arms designed to embrace the cans and this body portion also carries a spring actuated lever, having closure disks for the emptying perforations made in the can. The invention is further provided with a spur by means of which the perforations are made in a new can.

As illustrated and described, a specific embodiment. of the invention is adhered to, but to this embodiment the right is not to be restricted. The rightis reserved to make such changes or alterations as the actual reduction to practice may suggest, in so far as such changes or alterations are compatible in spirit with the annexed claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sealed can showing the invention attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a central, vertical, sectional view through the structure of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the spring arms which is employed for attaching the device to the can.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is shown attached to a can 1, this being the kind of can such as is usually employed in marketing condensed milk. In order that the contents of the can may be emptied with out removing the cover thereof, the cover is punctured or perforated at one point near its periphery to provide an emptying hole for the can. In order that the contents of the can might flow freely a similar perforation should be formed diametrically opposite the first perforation or puncture. The two perforations having been formed, the invention is designed for attachment to the can so that both of these might be closed when the contents of the canare not being emptied. The invention itself comprises a body mem ber constituting an upright bar 2 which is preferably rectangular in cross section. This bar is formed at its upper end with two spaced ears 3, connected between which there is apin 4:. A lever is pivotally mounted between these two ears and this lever comprises a bar 5, preferably rectangular in cross section, this bar being formed with ears 6 depending from opposite edges and formed with suitable holes through which the pin 4 passes and provides the pivotal mounting of the lever 5.

Two curved spring clips or grips 7 are attached to the bar 2, one adjacent the lower end and one adjacent the upper end and these clips may be made to embrace the can 1 so as to attach the bar 2 thereto in order that the latter may hold the le 'er 5 above the top of the can.

The lever 5 carries adjacent its outer end and adjacent the point of its pivotal connection with the ears 3 the disks 8 which are attached to the lever by suitable rivets and which are preferably cupped disks, these disks, when the lever is down, serving as inclosure members for the perforations 9 formed in the top of the can. The lever is held normally down by a flat spring 10 which is formed, as indicated at. 11, to embrace the pin 4 between the ears 6. One leg of this spring lies against the outer face of the bar 2, while the other leg bears against the under face of the lever on the opposite side of the pin from the disks 9, thus making it possible for this spring to keep the disks normally against the top of the can. The lever on that side of the pin against which the spring bears is bent downward, as indicated at 12, in order that the act of gripping the can in the hands may make it easy to raise the lever 5 to lift the disks from their positions over the perforations 9.

The device is provided with means for making the perforations 9 in the can when it is first used and to this end the bar 2 at its lower end is formed with an out-turned right angled bend 13. whose extremity is bent downwardly and formed to provide a spur 14. Before attaching the device to the can, therefore, the point of the spur 14: may be placed against the top of the can at the desired point and a blow struck on top of the right angled portion 13 at the outer extremity thereof. The spur is thus driy'en through the can and the desired perforation formed. The device is then attached to the can by springing the clip 7 around the latter and positioning the device on the can so that the lever 5, when down, will bring the disks 8 over the perforations which have been formed.

Desiring to empty the contents of the can, it is gripped between the thumb and finger when the bent portion 12 of the lever 5 will fall against the palm of the hand. A pressure applied by the palm will then serve to lift the lever 5 from the top of the can, thus freeing both perforations 9. The perforation over the disk 8 at the outer end of the lever is then used for pouring out the contents of the can, the other perforation serving as an air inlet to permit the contents to flow freely.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

A new article of manufacture comprising an upright bar, means for securing the same to a can, a lever pivotally mounted at the upper end of the bar, a pair of spaced inverted cupped disks secured to the lever on one side of the pivot, and a spring bearing against the lever and tending to force downward that portion carrying the disks so that the disks may be made to cover spaced perforations formed at the top of the can, that portion of the lever on the opposite sideof the pivotfrom the disks being bent downwardly in the direction of the length of the bar, whereby the act of gripping the can in the hand may serve to raise that end of the lever carrying the disks for the useful purpose specified.

BERTELLO'W W. MEGQUIER. 

